Cel
The main objective of this project is to define methods and tools for the improvement of the drying and ripening techniques of meat products (dry-sausages).
Special attention will be given to the study of traditional products for which the preparation procedures are still based on empirical knowledge.
In order to achieve the above mentioned final result some intermediate objectives are planned to be reached :
- the description of water and solutes diffusion into the sausages as a function of
the drying and ripening conditions;
- the definition of the chemical, microbial and sensory characteristics of traditional
sausages produced in the countries participating in the project;
- the specification of the air conditions (speed, distribution, temperature, relative
humidity) for obtaining an optimum drying of the product and a controlled
microbial (molds) growth on its surface;
- the development of a computer model of the physical-chemical transformations of
these meat products during ripening and of the air characteristics in a ripening
chamber as a function of the operating conditions.
To face these tasks an important intermediate goal of the project will be the design, setting up and operation of a pilot-scale ripening chamber to be utilized in the study of the drying conditions by monitoring the product behaviour and the plant operating parameters. The final output of this project is expected to consist in a full picture of the possibilities of improving the quality of typical sausage products by properly controlling the conditions operated by the ripening units; this desirable result would benefit the meat processing industry, the ripening plants manufacturers and obviously the dry-sausage products consumers. Because of the multidisciplinary structure of the project the participation of differently experienced partners is justified. The partnership therefore embraces representatives from universities, food research institutes, meat industry and processing plant manufacturers. The coordination of the project is entrusted to SSICA a food research institute which in its usual operation is always in connection with the above listed organizations.